1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an adapter to attach a patient positioning plate of a patient transport gurney or cart to a diagnosis and/or treatment table, in particular of a medical examination modality.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The transfer of recumbent patients (that naturally thus have only limited movement) from the patient transport cart to a diagnosis and/or treatment table is very work- and time-intensive. Normally a number of people, often up to six, are necessary for the transfer, since the patient that is manually transferred must be kept very stable in order to prevent the patient from suffering injury during the transfer. In the transfer, the patient is shifted from the patient positioning table of a patient transport cart (gurney) to the diagnosis and/or treatment table, or is raised using a sheet or a board. A single transfer is already difficult, and an even greater effort exists when a patient must be transferred multiple times. A transfer normally takes at least five minutes, thus if six people are required, a transfer involves a total effort of a half work-hour, For patients who must be frequently transferred due to back illnesses, for example, or for trauma patients, the transfer frequently entails a total effort of a number of work-hours. This is very involved and finally also very cost-intensive. Moreover, the transfer event is laborious for the people undertaking it, since it ensues (as stated) manually and a considerable must be lifted, and this must often ensue very slowly and carefully.